Apple and Samsung: Doomed to be frenemies forever?

Apple and Samsung have been at each other’s throats for years now, bickering over mobile patents and handset design elements in courtrooms around the world. Apple is thus far the only company to score a substantial win, having been awarded nearly $1 billion in damages following a favorable decision in its first big U.S. patent trial. But while these two giants continue to do battle in courts across the globe, Apple is still one of Samsung’s biggest customers as it buys billions of dollars worth of smartphone, tablet and computer components from Samsung’s manufacturing arm.

While “forever” is obviously a bit of an exaggeration, it looks like the companies’ fragile relationship will continue as-is for at least another couple of years. A new report from Digitimes on Tuesday that cites unnamed industry sources in Taiwan in noting that Samsung has secured orders for Apple’s next-generation mobile processors that will power future iPhones, iPads and iPod touch handhelds.

The report says that Samsung’s New York facility will begin producing 14-nanometer processors for Apple in early 2015.

According to the report, Samsung’s New York plant will have the capacity to produce 60,000 wafers each month using the 14nm process, which means additional capacity will likely be needed unless orders are split with other suppliers. Digitimes states that GlobalFoundries has secured some orders for Apple’s next-generation processors as well, and TSMC will also continue to chase the contract for Apple’s A9 processors.